I’m currently a sophomore (female) in HS and I was searching for math and programming summer programs that aren’t as selective as, say, ROSS and RSI. I live in California, so I would prefer in-state opportunities, but out-of-state is totally fine as well. As for cost, free is (obviously) best, but I realize that free programs are often the most selective, so non-free programs are ok too. However, I would prefer that it is free to apply. And for deadlines, late Feb. and later is probably best for me, especially if the application is very involved.
Even though I’m advanced in math (I"m taking AP Calc BC right now), I don’t think I have enough math/science ECs (some regional math competitions, ok AMC score, programming competition, Academic Decathlon if this counts) to be very competitive for more prestigious programs.
The programs I’m already considering include:
COSMOS (I know this is very selective, but I’ll give it a shot anyway)
Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program (really interested in this, but not sure about the selectivity)
Mathroots at MIT (does anyone know how selective this will be? I’m very interested but not sure if it’s worth it to apply)
All Girls/All Math (seems interesting as well, and cost is alright for me)
I’m for sure applying to COSMOS (I don’t have high hopes for this) and Girls Who Code.
Thank you so much for the suggestions! I’ll definitely look into these programs.
Also, I can’t add this to my main post, but I’m only 15, so the programs for ages 16+ wouldn’t work for me.
@nitanu32, thanks - your stats are amazing too! Nope, I was waitlisted (I won’t go even if I get off the waitlist ) for San Ramon, CA (that’s the only one I applied to). But if I were choosing between COSMOS and GWC, I would consider cost (is the cost of COSMOS worth the experience of living on a college campus? Or would you prefer a free opportunity?) and the knowledge you want to gain (GWC is more of an intro to coding, while COSMOS has a more diverse selection of clusters - your cluster, Math Modeling, sounds really fun). In terms of content, it’s basically coding vs. applied math - which one interests you more and/or is more relevant to your future major? Oh and if you have other things going on in the summer, you’ll need to see which program works better with those activities (for example, I’m volunteering, so GWC wouldn’t work out, but COSMOS leaves me one month to volunteer). Sorry for the long post. These are just a few thoughts - this is what I would ask myself if I was choosing.
